Propelling canal-boats



G.R. TAYLOR. PROPELLING CANAL BOATS.

(No Model.)

Patented May 6,1884.

Unrrn Srarns GEORGE R. TAYLOR, OF

t ari-mr rricn.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

PRoPl-:LLING CANAL-BOATS.

. I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,135, dated May6, 1884.

Application tiled March 16, 1883. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that L GEORGE R. TAYLOR, of Louisville, in the county ofJefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in the Method of Propelling Canal-Boats, the followingbeing a full and accurate specilication thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

Like letters indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 represents a section of the wirerope. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the truck or bearing with a wirerope passing through itsv axle, with the connecting metallic bar a. Fig.4 represents the device for attaching the boat-cable to thepropellingdevice or endless rope. Fig. 5 represents an improved capstanfor receiving the towing-cable and giving off the same with the requiredresistance. Fig. 6 represents a plan view of my improved capstan. c

My invention relates to means for economizing in the cost and increasingthe speed of moving canal and other boats in ordinary canalchannels. Todo this l erect on the banks of the canal at proper intervals posts orbrackets, withy their upper ends projecting over the channel of thecanal,and on the said projecting ends of the brackets over thewater Iconstruct a continuous track from bracket to bracket to any convenientlength or section of the canal, as will hereinafter appear.y The saidtrack consists of an upper and a lower passage-way, each being providedwith rails, on which a twowheeled truck may run. The said ways may belocated one directly above the other or horizontally on the side of eachother, and the track may be so constructed that the same endless ropemay convey the boats both directions, or one way or track may be on oneside of the canal and the other way on the other side ofthe canal. Inthe drawings I show and prefer to describe the ways above each other.The lower way is suspended or held on the under side of the saidbrackets in such manner that a 'free opening is formed from below andbetween the rails of the track, so that the towing-cable from the boatcan be readily attached to the trucks running on the said rails ortrack. An endless rope is carried upon the said trucks,to which it isfirmly attached.- The 4towing-cable is attached to the endless rope bymeans of a hitching device pinched to a metallic bar, which is attachedto the axle of the said trucks; and the metallic bar thus attachedpasses down between the wheels through the opening in the said track. Acontinuous wire rope fastened to the axle of said tracks is placed inthe lower passage-way, which is constructed to any desired lengthkthenupward and over a wheel, back through the upper way',and down over awheel to the starting-point, the two ends of the rope being connected.The said tracks or bearings, having small wheels resting on the rails ortrack, respectively, are provided as often as necessary to carry theendless rope. passage-way sufficient for one endless rope is designateda section The wheels at the ends of a section, over which said ropepasses, are driven by astationary engine or other power, (notshown,)thereby imparting a continuous forward movement to the rope inthe lower track, to which any towing-cable from boats may be connected.The rope will return in the upper track, which may .be entirely inclosedto protect it if desired.

My invention consists, also, in a capstan to be placed on one or bothends of the boat, on which the towing cable or line is wound, and fromwhich it may be drawn with a uniformly-increasing tension, therebygiving a uniformly-increasing impulse to the boat until the velocity ofthe driving-rope has been attained. Any undesirable amount of lin'ethusgiven out in starting the boat may again be rewound on the capstan bythe use of a crank provided therefor.

My improvement consists, further, in a device by which the end of thetowing cable or line may be readily attached to the propellingrope whenin motion, and when the said de` vice thus attached to thepropelling-rope travels to the end of each section it detaches itselfautomatically, the boat being carried forward by its own momentum to thenext section, where the towing-line of the boat maybe attached to thedriving-rope of that section by means of the said device and continuethus from section to section throughout the length of the canal.

In Fig. l, A represents the lower track, and

B represents the upper or return track, and

or tracks in the lower and upper passage-way The j IOO f is wound.

C C any suitable brackets, posts, or frames to support the said tracks.

d is a continuous wire rope, placed upon trucks e e e, which trucks orwheels move upon their respective tracks A and I3. The said trucks areprovided as often as necessary to carry the said wire rope. To thecenter of the axle of each 011e of the said trucks is attached ametallic bar, a, which projects downward between the two rails of thelower track, A, which track is so constructed that a free opening is hadbeneath the driving-rope and between the rails of the said track A, sothat the attaching device, which is fastened to the end of thetowing-cable from the boat, can bc readily gripped or pinched onto thesaid metallic bar a. The said trucks are fastened to and carry thedriving-rope.

E E are the wheels, placed at the ends of each sect-ion, over which theendless rope passes, and from which itreceivcs its constant mot-ion, thesaid wheels being driven by means of an engine or any other way. (Nothere shown.) The said wheels E E are so constructed as to admita freepassage of rope and trucks, and also prevent the rope from slippi I donot confine myself to erecting my improved towing-track 011 the banks orsides of the canal, but may erect the posts in the center and bed of thecanal in such a manner that boats moving in one direction may pass onone side of the said posts and connect with the driving-rope on thetrack B, (which in this case would be constructed by the side of thelower track, A,) and boats going in the opposite direction pass on theother side of the said posts and connect with the driving-rope on track.A.

ln Fig. 5, F F is a suitable frame, in which the wheel or drum of myimproved capstan is held. Thewheel G has a deep groove formed in itsedge, in which the towing cable or line A stationary disk or flange, g,is placed loosely against one side of the wheel G, against which it ispressed by means of the hand-wheel S and screw S, the said disk beingprevented from turning by the spline e. The shaft on which the wheel Gis fastened and rotates is provided on one end with a crank, R, by whichthe said wheel may be turned to wind up the cable. Aratehet-wheel andpawl, 71', are provided to hold it at any desired position. l \Vhen thetowing-cable is wound on the wheel. G, and it is desired to start a boaton which the said eapstan and eable are placed, the end of the cable ortowingline is connected, by means of a device hereinafter described, tothe driving-rope or metallic bar a. The metallic bar c being connectedto the trucks, which move with the rope, as already stated, thereforethe end of the towing-cable thus attached to the metallic bar a moveswith the driving-rope, which motion is uniform and continuous. As soonthen as the slack towing-line is taken up, the wheel G begins to giveout additional line or towing-cable, the friction disk or ilange 1]resisting the free rotation of the wheel G, around which the towing lineor cable is wound, thus imparting an impulse to the boat, and as theline nnwinds and the diameter of its coil diminishes the impulse ot' theboat increases until the boat has attained the same speed of thedriving-rope. 'lhen the surplus line is again wound ou the capstan-wheelG by means ot' the crank Il, and held in such position by theratchet-wheel and pawl k. Fig. et-is the device placed on the free endof towing cable or line. By means of the said device the towing cable orline is connected tothe driving-rope on track A.

The levers N N have their fulcrum n u in a case ot' two plates, one oneach side ot' the said levers. On their short ends and inner sides hooksi t are formed to take hold of the metallic bar a. The longer legs ofthe said levers N N being closed together, the short ends open and admitthe said metallic bar a. A peculiar-shaped bar, H, to which the free endof cable or towing-line is fastened, is placed between the long ends ofthe lever NN, close to their fulcrums and between said case or sideplates. A pin passes through the said plates or case and bar, the holein the said bar H being enlarged,so as to give a slight longitudinalmotion. The inner end ofthe said bar H has formed on its sides next thelevers N N a projection, which in turn extends behind the correspondinglegs or projections on the inner sides of the levers N N in such amanner that any pull on the cable or said bar H causes the short ends orhooks of levers N N to be held closed firmly, and thereby holding tothemetallic bar a and driving-rope. \Vhen the said fastening, however,has traveled to the end of the section, and the long ends or legs orlevers N N come between the stationary projections or lugs l? l. onlower track, A, Fig. l, they are caused to close at the long ends andopen at the short ends, thereby releasing themselves and thetowing-cable from the driving-rope automatically, the momentum of boatat same time carrying itself to the next section, where the cable ortowing-line may again be connected, and the boat passed in like mannerthrough each successive section.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. ln an apparatus for towing canal-boats, the track A, provided withstandard C, supporting cable-wheels E, in combination with an endlesstraveling cable provided with hitching-bars a, attached thereto, andhaving antifriction wheels c, as and for the purposes described.

2. In an apparatus for towing canal-boats, the tracks A B, incombination with the standards C, carrying cable-wheels E E, and theendless driving-cable. provided with metallic hitching-bars c, and forthe purposes specified.

IOO

. 3. In an apparatus for towing canal-boats,

the lower track, A, provided with a free open- 5. As a means for towingcanal-boats, in combination with the hitching devices and towing-cable,substantially as described, the

capstan-wheel G, provided with its iianged friction-disk g, hand-wheel,and clampscrew s, for operation upon said disk, and the ratchet-wheeland pawl 7c, located upon the main shaft of the capstan, as and for the.purposes specified.

GEORGE R. TAYLOR.

y' Witnesses:

J l). KELLAs, W. L. TAYLOR.

